Beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

First up tonight is a bottle of a new brew from Bell's that I picked up a 6 pack of a couple weeks ago. Just haven't had a chance to try it. This is Oatsmobile Ale.

Aromatic. Approachable. Unique. Intriguing. Happy-go-lucky. Full-bodied. And we’re not just talking about the horse. This hop-forward, 100% all-malt session pale ale uses a blend of classic and modern Pacific Northwest hops, including Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo, for a pungent blend of stone fruit and tropical aromas. The signature ingredient - oats - are what makes Oatsmobile Ale stand apart, and gives it a body that you don’t see in most other session Pale Ales.

Poured a darker gold into a Shaker glass with a moderate golden head. Definite aroma of tropical fruit hops as the description notes with a slight note of grainy malts. Taste is well balanced blend of fruity hops and oaty malts. Not much in the way of bitterness but there is a little on the backside. Unlike the description, the body on this feels somewhat thin to me with a semi-dry finish. Just 4.3% ABV. Doesn't knock my socks off but it is a good, solid, and drinkable beer. Especially for someone who likes hops without the bitter bite.

[Ryan Ruck]

Dominion's Oak Barrel Stout has been out for a while but is now sold in a new bottle, one that continues on their Pin-up Girl motif. So naturally I had to finally give in and grab some.

Dominion Oak Barrel Stout is rich and smooth, a draught brew so popular at our Brewup that we found a way to bottle it for a wider audience. We combine seven different malts and two hops to create a delicious stout, that we dry-hop with fresh vanilla beans and toasted oak to finish our little treasure. The result is a stout that has the bourbon barrel flavor we all enjoy, and hope you will to.

Note: Made with oak chips and vanilla beans, not aged in barrels.

Poured an opaque black into an English Pint with a big, foamy dark brown head. Smells of charred wood, peat, and some chocolate malt. Tastes of roasted cocoa, oak, some smokey malts, and a touch of vanilla. 6.1% ABV and just a medium body with a dry finish. Very smooth and easy drinking! Tasty!

One thing though, with the ABV and thinner body does this really qualify as a Stout or would it be more of a Porter? I don't know enough about the intricacies of the types but I would think Porter based on my experience.

[Ryan Ruck]

Last one up tonight is another from Dominion with the Pin-up Girl style, Candi Belgian Tripel.

Don’t be fooled by Candi’s golden appearance. This Belgian Tripel may taste of sugar and spice, but her beguiling introduction is far from nice, flirting with a covert 9.5% ABV. Saaz and Halltertau hops provide a clean, floral aroma with minimal hop bitterness and the soft sweetness of apricot and pear lingers nicely against a dry finish.

Poured golden into a Tulip glass with a medium white head. Smells like sweet honey with Belgian spices. The taste is fruity, herbal, spiced, and astringent. Body is medium with a 10% ABV. An interesting flavor combination but they come off a bit harsh. Needs to mellow. Not bad but just a decent brew overall.

[Ryan Ruck]

Just opened up a bottle of a newer Southern Tier brew called 3 Citrus Peel Out.

This high-gravity Wheat Ale is brewed with blood orange juice, grapefruit & tangerine peels. This special ale is brewed with 35% Wheat & 3 types of hops.

We made this one obviously refreshing. It features Tropical citrus and grapefruit aromas from Mosaic hops along with the addition of over 4 & a half pounds per barrel of grapefruit & tangerine peels. And to get extra juicy, we ferment with blood orange juice concentrate.

Not overly bitter, this brew sits around 30 IBU and its nice citrus pith rounds out the bitterness. Residual sweetness helps accentuate the fruity character and masks the 8.5% ABV well. Enjoy straight up or served on the rocks with soda & wedge of fresh fruit. We’ve loved it with simple syrup & a shot of our favorite spirit.

Pours a very clear gold into a Shaker with a small white head. Has a smell of wheat and fruity hops, namely tangerine, mango, and orange. Flavors of wheat, alcohol, and the same tangerine, mango, and orange in the scent. Medium bodied and a nice 8.5% ABV. Highly drinkable and definitely a great summer time beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Happened to be in the neighborhood of Party Source earlier today so stopped in to see what they had for beer. Picked up a couple high test brews and found a couple of Dogfish's newest brews as well.

Up tonight is their SeaQuenchAle

SeaQuench Ale is our session sour quencher made with lime peel, black lime and sea salt. It’s a citrusy-tart union of three German styles of beer blissfully brewed into one. We begin by brewing a straightforward Kolsch with lots of wheat and Munich Malt, then we brew a salty Gose with black limes, coriander and our sea salt. We follow it all up with a citrusy-tart Berlinerweiss made with lime juice and lime peel. All three beers are then blended together in the fermentation tank to create this German hybrid.

Working alongside the National Aquarium out of Baltimore, Maryland, we've replicated sea salt sourced from both Maine and the Chesapeake Bay to give SeaQuench Ale its mildly salty characteristic.

And, releasing just in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot - aka the “German Beer Purity Law” that says it’s illegal to brew with anything other than water, barley, and hops - SeaQuench Ale both commemorates (and disintegrates) this art-censorship law.

The release of SeaQuench Ale kicks off a new partnership between Dogfish Head and the National Aquarium that will focus on inspiring conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. Dogfish Head’s philanthropic contributions will help the Aquarium generate important conservation impact for a healthy Chesapeake Bay. The National Aquarium logo can be found on the SeaQuench Ale label and Dogfish’s brewed ales and handcrafted spirits will be showcased in the Aquarium’s café year-round and offered at select Aquarium events.

Supposed to be served in a Bowl style glass. I've posted in the past I have no such thing and still don't. Into a Shaker it'll go...

Poured a very pale gold into a Shaker glass with a fizzy white head that did not last long at all. A definite aroma of lime, a little wheat, all with a mild sour twist. The taste is very much like the smell. Notable tart lime and wheat with a slightly salty finish. Very light bodied and carbonated. A very reasonable 4.5% ABV. Smooth Summertime drinking!

[Ryan Ruck]

One I just picked up was one from Foudners, Mango Magnifico con Calo.

Mango Magnifico is a never-before-released, high-gravity fruit beer brewed with mango and Michigan-grown habaneros. Each 750mL bottle of this 10% ABV ale is intended to be shared. Not a traditional fruit beer, the delicate tropical fruit in Mango Magnifico is punctuated by a hint of heat, increasing the overall depth of flavor and adding another level of complexity. It will be a refreshing drink for the warm summer months.

Poured amber into a shaker with a foamy golden head. Very strong scent of mango, nothing but straight mango. Taste is sweet mango, a bit of malt, and a little throat heat on the finish. Body is surprisingly thick. Boasts a rather robust 10% to go along with the robust flavor. Wow! Pretty damn tasty and an interesting blend of flavors! Nice job by Founders yet again!

[Ryan Ruck]

Another new Dogfish for tonight, Biere de Provence.

Inspired by the fields of Provence, this saison is brewed with a bounty of fresh herbs to give it a floral nose and a unique, dry spice. Brewed with lavender, marjoram and bay leaves.

Poured a darker golden with a sizable, golden head into a Shaker. A definite herbal spice scent with malt as well as a bit of the mentioned lavender. Smooth herbal flavors with grainy malt and a bit of an alcohol flavor. Fairly full bodied and has a nice 8.3% ABV. Quite an interesting drink worth a try if you can find it!

[Ryan Ruck]

It's been a while since I've picked up a new Evil Twin brew but this one definitely caught my eye. I've reviewed the Molotov Cocktail and Molotov Cocktail Single Simcoe but, tonight's is Molotov Heavy. Why did it catch my eye and what makes it "heavy"? The 17.2% ABV, of course.

Despite the crudeness it is tricky to make an effective Molotov cocktail. Despite the unruly nature of the rebel it is very tricky to resist accepted conventions. Molotov Heavy is a tour de force in rebellious hoppiness, it’s a heavy spark for action and by far one of the most anti-authoritative beers ever made by Evil Twin Brewing.

Poured a dark and hazy amber into a Snifter with only a slight, tan colored topping for a head. Smells straight up like orange-pineapple juice. Also has a slight alcohol scent. Smells like a mixed drink of some kind instead of a beer! A little pineapple flavoring with some pine resin and caramel malts. Starts out fairly boozy, warms, and finishes with a very mild bitterness. Besides the heavy 17.2% ABV, the body is also pretty heavy. Overall, this is quite the Imperial IPA!

[Ryan Ruck]

The beer up tonight is a new one from Quaff Bros and Rhinegeist called Rye Knucklehead.

Rye Knucklehead is a 10% ABV American Strong Ale that has been aged in a cuvee of Rye Bourbon barrels.

Poured a hazy brown-amber into a Snifter with a frothy golden-tan head. Has a sweet, boozy, rye whiskey scent. Definite oaky, rye whiskey flavors with a little bitterness on the finish. The alcohol is noticeable as well. A healthy 10% ABV. Body is medium. Very tasty and well executed brew from Quaff Bros and Rhinegeist, as expected of course.

[Ryan Ruck]

Up tonight is another Quaff Bros collaboration. This time a very small batch (which was certainly reflected in the price!) brew made with the help of Jackie O's.

This is their Full Allotment Imperial Stout.

Follow the Muler family on a cross-country adventure buying more Beer than they should. Friendships are born and broken and the meaning of life comes into question. Mind-blowing bottle shares and owner/brewmaster confrontations await this thirsty bunch as they search for the full allotment! Starring Dark Apparition and Oil of Aphrodite in a bourbon barrel aged production.

Poured a deep, inky black into a Snifter with a thin light brown head. Allowed to warm slightly. Bold smell of roasted walnuts, chocolate, and bourbon. An equally bold taste with flavors much like the smell with chocolate and walnuts dominating. Very roasty with noticeable warming on the finish thanks to the 11.9% ABV. Super heavy body to match the rich smell and taste. This brew is in your face, in a very good way, all the way around! A damn fine beer they turned out!

[Ryan Ruck]

Since I'm on vacation this week I'm going to post up an uncommon mid-week review!

And this one is yet another from Quaff Bros. They started 2016 out slow but have definitely picked up the pace!

This is also another collaboration brew, this time a collaboration with another local Cincinnati brewer, Listermann.

This is their Brown Chicken Brown Cow American Strong Ale.

The color is a beautiful mesh of cocoa, ebony and mahogany. The nose is dominated by rushes of brown sugar, chocolate malt, syrup/molasses, nutshell, vanilla, coconut, oak and Bourbon. The flavor profile is as smooth as butter which keeps with the Quaff theme on this one, “say it fast drink it slow”. Medium to full-bodied, it captures the essence of KY’s best used Bourbon barrels to make a session-able style of beer that is so frequently dominated with Bourbon flavor and booze. Coffee cake, vanilla extract, almond and chestnut along with some slight char can all be found in this one. It is well balanced and would mate perfectly with everything from grilled lamb and goat to desserts as well as a full-bodied smoke. Brewed at Listermann Brewing Co.

Poured a deep brown, nearly black into a Snifter with nearly no head. Warmed up a touch. Big scent of chocolate malt and caramel with a hint of bourbon. Tastes like it smells with the addition of a little coconut and, the bourbon flavors come across quite boozy. Very thick and full bodied which works well with the 9.5% ABV. Very rich and flavorful! A slow sipper for sure. Yet another really great Quaff Bros beer!

[Ryan Ruck]

Going to review two newer coffee beers from Stone tonight.

First one up is their Mocha IPA.

Clearly, style lines have been crossed. Is it half-IPA, half-stout? Not quite. It’s definitely all IPA, but it’s also the best of both styles, making this love child of a beer simply just a beautiful, pleasure-seeking meld of imperial IPA and mocha indulgence. How did we come up with this inexplicably delicious creation? Well, that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it exists and that it’s here for you now, thanks to our deliberate disregard for brewing norms. Some things are not meant to be known, just enjoyed...thoroughly.

Poured a dark amber into a Shaker with a big golden head. A strong citrus hop scent with a slight hint of cocoa. Has a taste of coffee, cocoa, and piney hops with a mild bittersweet finish. Quite a combination of flavors that is surprisingly drinkable. Medium bodied. A 9% ABV. Pretty decent brew but not sure it was worth the $16 price tag for a 6 pack. Would have preferred to get this in a bomber like most of Stone's offerings.

[Ryan Ruck]

The second coffee beer from Stone tonight is their Americano Stout.

The coffee notes in Stone Americano Stout are bold, rich and full of American swagger. For each 120-barrel batch, we incorporated over 250 lbs. of artisanal espresso-roast beans into the mash and added in Columbus, Chinook, Amarillo and Cascade hops to invigorate the coffee taste with a slight citrus and resin hop presence. When it came time to selecting our coffee, we chose the same local roasters who contributed to our sought-after 2013 Stone ESPRESSO Imperial Russian Stout. Their fantastic beans helped us achieve this dark, hoppy and wonderfully aromatic espresso stout.

Poured black into a Snifter with a minimal cream colored head. Smells of smokey, roasted coffee. Taste is bitter coffee, roasted malts, and a very little bit of cocoa. A slightly bitter finish. Has a nice 8.7% ABV. Body is on the lighter side of medium. Pretty good but like the Mocha IPA the price of admission (also $16/6 pack) seems a bit steep for what it is. Of the two, I like this one a bit better.

[Ryan Ruck]

The beer up tonight is an extremely new one from Clown Shoes, Archdruid Irish Ale.

The Archdruid needed a ride to the ceremonies at the National Eisteddford of Wales, eager to preside over The Crowning of The Bard. Short of timber, he used ancient magic to lash immobilized leprechauns into a river worthy of raft. Notice the bejeweled chalice floating by the side of the Archdruid? It is filled with this Irish Red Ale we aged in Irish Whisky barrels. An nidh is amamh, is e is iongantaighe.

Poured a dark amber-brown into an English Pint with a large golden-tan head. Has a scent of malt, whiskey, and fresh cut wood with a little funk. The taste has a slight sour funk like the smell as well as whiskey, sweet vanilla, and oak. Has a well hidden 9% ABV with a body on the thin side. Interesting flavors. Not bad at all!

[Ryan Ruck]

Next up tonight is one from Stone, Bastard's Midnight Brunch American Strong Ale.

DEPTH-CHARGED Double Bastard Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels & Maple Syrup Barrels

Poured a deep brown into a Tulip with a good sized golden head. Smells of caramel malts, maple, bourbon, and alcohol. Allowed to warm due to the alcohol content. Has flavors of maple, bourbon, pine hops, and caramel. Has a mellow bitterness throughout that accents with the sweeter maple and caramel flavors. A rather heavy hitting 12.7% ABV that is moderately hidden. Medium bodied. Pretty tasty but a bit on the expensive side ($17/500ml bottle).

[Ryan Ruck]

This Friday night's beer is one I picked up a bit ago. A collaboration between Cincinnati brewery Christian Moerlein and The Party Source called Beautiful View Beer Project.

This is their Beautiful View Beer Project IPA.



A local news article that gives some background on its creation.

Poured a darker golden into a Tulip glass with a medium white head. Has a tropical fruit and citrus hop smell with a little bit of honey and malt. The taste is very much like it smells with more bitterness than sweet. Body is medium weight and has a moderate 6.5% ABV. Pretty good but bordering on my limit for bitterness.

[Ryan Ruck]

It's Friday night and it's time for beer! It's also the start of a 2 week vacation so it's extra cause to celebrate!

In beer news, on my recent trip to Jungle Jim's I found they had the highly coveted Dogfish 120 IPA in stock! Definitely not the most reasonably priced at $35 for a 4 pack but it is oh so worth it! I may have to open one up after tonight's review.


And up tonight is one I picked up when I grabbed the 120, another from local Rhinegeist, Barrel Aged Druncle.



Poured a dark red-brown into a Shaker with a medium golden-brown head. Very strong scent of bourbon, sweet caramel, and oak. Definite taste of bourbon, oak, and malty sweetness. Has a warming finish. Light-medium bodied with a nice 8.5% ABV. Very mellow and smooth flavors. Highly tasty and drinkable!

[Ryan Ruck]

Alright, time for a late night review since I'm back home from my brother's after watching the OSU-OU game. Not that I'm a big college football fan. I just got outvoted. I thought we should go to Old Firehouse Brewery's 2nd Anniversary block party they wanted to watch the game.

So I'm still having some beer tonight anyway.

Tonight's is an extremely new, limited release from Clown Shoes following on their Third Party Candidate that I reviewed before. This one is Presumptive Nominee IPA.



Poured a copper-gold into a Tulip with a medium gold tinged head. Has a muted scent of tropical fruit and citrus hops. Has a taste of melon, berries, and malt. Medium bitterness that crops up about half way through a sip and lingers a bit. The bitterness is tamed a bit by the malts. Medium bodied. Has a 7% ABV. Another really good brew from Clown Shoes!

[Ryan Ruck]

Since I'm not working tomorrow, I'm drinking tonight!

Hell, I need to after that Bengals game...

I picked this Rhinegeist brew up a couple weeks back. This is their Alice Belgian-Style Blonde.



Poured a medium gold into a Trappist glass with a moderate white head. Slight smell of Belgian spices, lemon, and some sweet grainy malt. Taste is a lot like the smell. Flavors don't stick out very much. Thinner bodied with a good bit of carbonation. A nice 6.3% ABV. An inoffensive beer but, at the same time, it doesn't stick out much.

[Ryan Ruck]

No work tomorrow so I'm staying up late and reviewing another brew! Like Alice, this one has been hanging around in the fridge for a bit.

This one is from Rogue and is their 7 Hop IPA.

This is John Maier’s secret recipe that blends all seven hops grown in the hopyard of Rogue Farms. It is a true taste of the terroir of the Wigrich Appellation, the oldest hops growing region in Oregon.

Malts: Rogue Farms Dare,™ Risk,™ Maier & Dare™ R-3
Hops: Rogue Farms Liberty, Newport, Revolution, Rebel, Independent, Freedom & Alluvial
Yeast & Water: Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Poured a darker gold into a Shaker with a huge golden-white head. Big scent of tropical fruit hops with a touch of caramel malt. Piney and fruity hops bring a bit of bitterness to the taste that is balanced out by some caramel malt. Definitely bittersweet. Medium bodied. Has a 7.77% ABV to coincide with it's 7 hop varieties (a theme throughout the X Hop IPAs from Rogue. Not overly bitter but bitter nonetheless. Decently good!